Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

56 reviews

gwenswoons's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Liked this a lot - lots of beautiful storytelling, tons of deep history about South African apartheid told in really personal ways, and an unusual balance of comedy and vivid, traumatic, clear information that Trevor Noah does so well. The structure, for me, wasn’t totally successful - I think the word “Stories” in the title is key, and it’s definitely built more like vignettes - to my reading, it was often not entirely successful from the extent of the non-sequitur - than like a traditional memoir (I’m not a major memoir reader anyway, so I was ok with this! But the timeline leaps and unrelated stories sometimes felt like they could have been built into a slightly more effective arc). I listened on audio, and can’t recommend it enough - he’s obviously such a great narrator, so funny, so inflected and beautiful (and, so amazing hearing him switch between different languages in different stories - I loved!!). Can’t imagine reading this NOT on audio! I’ll def read more of his books as he writes them 💜

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Medical content, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Child abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Classism, Sexism, Stalking, Violence, War, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Alcohol, and Blood

elyssajoh's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Bullying

Minor: Vomit, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

zoegupta's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Violence, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gore, Drug use, Addiction, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Animal death, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

voicenextdoor's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Racism, and Medical content

Moderate: Police brutality, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Classism, and Animal cruelty

ethrbo's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Excrement

miggyfool's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Blood, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Misogyny

spellygirl's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Slavery, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

saskiahill's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Slavery, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Blood, Drug use, Rape, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

Minor: Murder

filipa_maia's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

I'm such a huge fan of Trevor Noah and this book was on my TBR list for so long... I was really excited about this read. I'm usually not a fan of autobiographies (biographies in general) but I could not pass this one.

I really enjoyed this book. Is so effortlessly written, almost like a conversation.  The story goes back and forth with such grace and detail that the reader feels like its actually a one-on-one talk with Trevor.

Trevor as a very unique way of describing whats around him. Its a very funny, but serious way of telling us what was like to born and live being someone who does not belong. But this book is so much more that just a story about Trevor's life. Is all about a time period that changed an entire country and its people forever. Its very interesting the way this book describes such dark times through the eyes of a child and, later, with the proper interpretation of an adult. More than 30 years after the end of apartheid people still live surrounded by its "ghost"... its not there anymore but its presence is still felt.

Everyone, no matter what your race is, your age, where you are from, should read this book. We all should learn what happened during (and after) apartheid, because when we forget the past we are bound to repeat the same mistakes.

P.S.: I believe there is a quote very similar to this by a philosopher, but this is a saying that I really like.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Police brutality, Grief, Child abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Hate crime, Gun violence, Classism, Violence, Genocide, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Excrement, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

cnnr876's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

6 / 5 stars. I loved loved loved this book. Best audiobook I've ever listened to. His intertwining of personal stories with historical commentary of the development of apartheid and South Africa was incredibly impactful. I have no notes!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Violence